jeremy in new york city!

in a matter of minutes, new york city demanded a few things from me...and i had no control (or good reason) to deny the renowned metropolis of its appetite for persistent movement...

1.  "forget everything you know about american cities..."
2.  "give me your full attention, and please don't blink...you'll miss a piece of your story here"

*(side note:  day 1 was spent inside, on a couch, recovering from a bout of exhaustion following a 5 day working binge of 20 hour days...)*

facing manhattan, from brooklyn bridge

to me, the brooklyn bridge and central park stood out as the most iconic structures in the city.  so from a friends apartment in clinton hill, on day 2 i made my way toward manhattan on the c train.  but first, making a stop off at high st. for a pedestrian marathon on and around the brooklyn bridge.

brooklyn

view of manhattan bridge, seen from washington st.
near brooklyn bridge park

i spent the afternoon mixing a healthy portion of foot and train travel as i made my way towards 7th ave. / west 34th st., near the empire state building to say hello to my friend and host, kimmie, at her work.  the city, it's streets and it's people were emphatically pulsing with diversity, activity and excitement.  there was a legitimate life and character here that i had only experienced small hints of elsewhere:  london, barcelona and prague to name a few, but none that match the genuine strength of new york's heart & soul.

5th ave.

the flatiron building:  seen from west 23rd st. / 5th ave.

my real obsession with nyc is magnified by the joy i get from abbi jacobson & ilana glazer's series broad city.  a show featuring known and little-known pockets of nyc, many of which i happened to stumble upon by accident (so shibby!).  a stroll down 5th ave. on my way to washington square park led me past the popular flatiron building (above).

one of kimmie's gigs as an e-commerce photographer.
that day she was shooting fabric swabs (top left).

and a literal jog to the broadway show the curious incident of the dog in the night-time (we were running late!) took me right through times square (above: top right).

brighton beach

brighton beach:  just south of brooklyn, near coney island

it was day 3 of my adventure and i had 4 hours to kill before catching the broadway show.  i looked at a map and followed my intuition to brighton beach.  i caught the q train from clinton hill in brooklyn and rode the 45 minutes south to touch my toes in the atlantic ocean for the first time.

central park

i saved central park for my last day...i think the anticipation i felt was built on the countless still & moving images that feature nyc's defining park.  but it was also built on my immaculate gut-feeling that there is simply something special to be seen there...little known fact?  everything about new york's central park is man made  :O

roughly 10 miles spent exploring the nooks and
crannies of new york city's central park

i had an entire day to take in the park, and i took full advantage of every hour!  central park stretches over 50 city blocks in length.  i started from the c train stop at 110th st. / cathedral pkwy and worked my way to the bottom at west 59th st.

walking up, down, left and right, i zig-zagged my way past the north woods and meadow, past the massive tennis courts and around the giant reservoir that separates the upper east and west sides of manhattan.  next up came turtle pond and belvedere castle.  and as i marched past the boathouse and bethesda fountain, i came across my central park haven...sheep meadow.  beautiful architecture lines the distance from every angle, with trees, grass and picnics filling the foreground.  it was a beautiful sight, and the meadow here was particularly difficult to leave...

me and kimmie exploring 'the plaza hotel' near the south entrance of the park  :)

an enormous thank you to my dear friend kimmie, who made this adventure of a lifetime possible!  i would never have been brave enough to tackle nyc alone.

this is the first american city i've reviewed in years, and it's indicative of the true strength the city has in it's well-refined crusade to continually grow and thrive.  new york city, quite candidly, took all the best things i love about the worlds finest cities, and packed it into the 2 small boroughs of brooklyn and manhattan...

to new york city and it's 8.5 million people, thank you for such an influential experience and adventure.  the pulse of the city will never be forgotten...

thanks for reading!

- j

jeremy in praha!

despite my great hopes that the carefully crafted words personifying these pages will in some way connect the reader to my experiences...i couldn't possibly find the words to describe my deep love and affection for the incredibly stunning beauty and aura of prague...

 welcome to the 3rd country of my 2015 summer tour of europe;

 praha, czech republic!

a nearly panoramic view of the city from prague castle!

with my travels officially halfway through, i started a game of roulette with the cities i could possibly tour during the 14 or so days of adventure i had remaining.  the clouds and rain of switzerland had nearly driven me to a pit stop in italy, where i could have found some sun along the shores of the mediteranean...and multiple comments from friends had me to believe that prague wouldn't be too much different than vienna (my last stop). so it could be skipped if time was short...

but alas, my instincts led me to prague, and it's one of the most important and satisfying decicions concerning travel (and photography) that i've ever made...

me with my host jana (bottom left) and another traveler she was hosting yi-hsin
(bottom right). yi-hsin was hitchhiking through europe for a month,
with the help of  hitchwiki.org

my host, jana, was so kind and generous in her hospitality. the love she has for her city came through in the many small, finer details she showed me during our strolls through the city streets.

among the many kind things jana offered, two stand out as truly impactful...one, she made an authentic czech dish for dinner one night, of potato/bacon frittata with salad (pictured above, top right). and two, she outlined a walking tour of prague that i would come to treat as a bible. a route so incredibly perfect, that i would end up following it's nearly 10 mile course...twice

  day 1: blue line      day 2: green line     map: gtsincoming.cz
i began each walk on the red star, and ended on the black pentagon.

i started my first full day (blue line) a bit behind schedule, and only made it about 75% through the total route before meeting up with jana for drinks and a few games of pool after she'd finished work! 

i was so stunned by what i'd seen of the city over the 5-6 hours spent exploring it's unique history and design...as we made our way back home, my mind began to craft a mission...

14th century church in prague's old town. the pražský orloj
(prague astronomical clock tower) can be seen to the left.
it was a well planned early morning mission that allowed for
tourist-free photo's like this :)

i was overwhelmed by the opportunities to capture such an array of aesthetic architecture. but i felt limited in my ability to expose the true beauty of the city...with so many tourists and local residents walking here and standing there, the impact of seeing the architecture in it's complete form was hopeless...

i decided with a good nights rest, i would trek out for an early morning attack on the bricks and mortar stacked by men of history. as it often happens while traveling, the 'good nights sleep' aspect fell through, and i shut my eyes around 1:00AM, with an alarm set to go off in 3 hours...

a view of prague's old town square, chrám matky boži před týnem
(church of our lady before tyn). the 14th century structure highlights this frame.

view from karlův most (charles bridge). by now i was racing against 

the rising sun. and not just for tourist-free photographs,

but to also squeeze out the best lighting early mornings have to offer!

zahrady pražského (lower gardens below prague castle)

another view from karlův mos.
the sun was growing more intense as it inched up the sky.

tower of pražský orloj (the prague astronomical clock)

by 5:00AM i was in the city center, sprawled out, face down and hugging centuries old cobblestone. the previous days walk had given me a logistical map of which targets i would focus on. i expected a small window of time between the morning's best light, and when the first people would begin to make their way into the streets to start their day...

by the time i'd hit karlův most (charles bridge) around 7:00AM, i was no longer guaranteed the pleasure of a clean frame...but i was drunk with satisfaction, stupefied by aesthetic and exhausted beyond belief.  i took the metro back to jana's, napped until noon, and went back out to the city center to complete the rest of the most perfect walking tour, with happiness and leisure  :)

i honestly feel fortunate to have had the privilege to capture the city in such an intimate setting. the weather, not having been the most reliable over the last weeks, was holding strong over that early morning and through the rest of my time in prague.

if you ever have the opportunity to make a stop in prague, i highly recommend taking it.  for it's beauty and other striking assets, it's surprisingly very budget friendly when it comes to expenses.  beer is typically cheaper than water, and a full meal will run you about 100 crowns (about $4 usd today).  i was quite sad to leave the city on the train bound for my next stop, germany.  but i was also so happy to have seen and experienced all that i had in the the two full days i was here.  

during those two days, my adventure totals continued to rise. you can see the calculated totals below:

totals:     17 days     10 cities     3 countries     328,000 steps     160 miles

as my time abroad dwindles, the overall satisfaction with my tour solidifies more with every passing second.  thank you to my host jana for giving me more than i could have ever expected from praha, and thank you to the rich history and people of what i can say is truly one of my favorite cities.

the final stops on my tour are still to be determined...the game of euro city roulette carries on!  but next up...germany!

until next time, ahoj praha, guten tag berlin!

thanks for reading,

- j

********** bonus material **********

an organ player in one of the many churches sat to practice on a tuesday afternoon...

jeremy in europe 2!

231...this is roughly the number of days worked since mid-september of 2014.  it's now august, 2015 and 4 days separate me from a much anticipated second tour of europe!

august 10 - sept. 7  europe, summer 2015

the alluring history & rich culture of these countries themselves is enough to seduce anyone into a second go around.  but the potentially surprising detail that brought me back is...curiosity.

                                                         source:  swisswatchwire.com

as a child my mother used to mention every so often that her side of the family is swiss.  i knew from a young age that with my darker complexion, a trip pursuing long lost family might end in some awkwardness, but nonetheless, i always took great pride in my half-swiss roots.  to me, the swiss have always meant unparalleled craftsmanship and resolute neutrality.  two things i would be more than happy to have etched into my tombstone (joking, joking...please cremate me!).

i don't have a grand plan to quest after my relatives in the mother country, but i am adamantly curious about the land & culture of switzerland.  and so, it's switzerland where i begin...

i fear this may be your last big adventure old friend...

with my trusty backpack and sidekick adventure bag, i'm packing up a weeks supply of clothes to last for 30 days.  this bag has seen me through moments of paralyzing adrenaline and days of pure elation.  i've had her for 6 solid years, and i couldn't have asked for a better companion.  you're the reason i never have to check a bag, you fit my back like a glove, and you even double as a pillow when i'm desperate...but sadly, with holes in your meshes, and all but busted zipper cords, this may be our last great tour together dear backpack.  lets make it count!

while switzerland is the main attraction, i'm not taking a 19 hour flight with a 5 hour layover in moscow for a one stop tour...

- venice, italy
- vienna, austria
- berlin/hamburg, germany  (and)
- stockholm, sweden

these cities tentatively round off the remaining weeks. and with a eurail pass, my typically well-planned itinerary is not set in it's tracks.  i bought the rail pass for $800, and it allows for 10 full-day train rides, i.e. anywhere i can go (even switching multiple trains) within a 24 hour period counts as 1 day of riding!  28 european countries participate in the eurail pass, and with various packages for purchase, you're bound to find something in your budget.  my only stipulation is that i must use my 10 trips within 2 months...psshhh, done!

representing home with the red, white & blue  :)

as my closet continues to swell with adventure ridden pf flyers, yet another pair joins the collection as this summer's designated euro-tour kicks.  a new pair is vital to my ambitions of exploring 5 brand new cities on foot.  lets see how they hold up to the many miles we have in store together...

my brand new 24-70 f2.8 lense joins me this summer
to slay down europe's architecture once more!

and what would a euro tour be to a photographer without a camera!  sweeping architecture and breathtaking landscapes top my desires, but who knows whats to come...

i invite you to join me on my adventures as i document the beautiful aspects of human civilization and culture in central europe.  with well planned free time (and some luck), i'll be posting  my happenings in each destination along the way.  check-in mid-august for my first stop, switzerland!

to my friends, family and dear sasha for your love and support during this last season of work...

thank you!

i'm inexplicably blessed to once again passionately explore the world around me...

*jeremy in Europe 1!*

as always,

thanks for reading!

- j

jeremy in rome!

ciao from roma, italia!  Greetings from the fourth stop of my tour through europe.  I am approaching the fifth and, I must say, most anticipated stop of my adventure, greece and the island of ios.  but not before wandering the streets of one of civilizations most expansive and powerful empires, the ancient capital city, rome.

this is a view from vittoriale in the city center.  looking northwest over the
city, you can see the tips of some vatican buildings in the very back

catching another early flight out of barcelona,  I arrived in italy at 9:00am giving myself a full first day to explore this unique and wonderfully historic city. I arrived at my hostel just a few blocks from the main train station, and thank god for this!  after ten days of two different language emersions, french and spanish catalan, my brain was fried and I had no motivation to attempt yet another crash course with italian.  I dropped my bag and headed out the door. remembering the recent mistake of not having a map in barcelona, I made this my first priority when arriving in rome.  similar to paris, but even more so, rome is certainly walkable and it was the first city where I felt no need to purchase a prepaid metro pass.

also a view from vittoriale, this time looking southeast.  you can see the
colosseum in the back right while the roman forum fills the foreground

once again chasing down the sight of one of histories most famous landmarks, I walked in the straightest line possible to, where else...the colosseum

my heart raced at the sight!

I caught a glimpse of it, peeking through a side street, but instead of turning towards it, I continued down the main road...I wanted to walk into this view head on and experience the magnificance of antiquities most fascinating structure in its full glory...

soon the roman forum, a place now visible thanks to massive excavations, was staring me in the face!  I said, 'woaaaah now, wait your turn you beautiful piece of history, you, you birthplace of rome!  im on my way to the colosseum, didnt you know?!'  I looked to my left, and there she was...

I walked in disbelief, struggling to comprehend that I was actually here...the battles, the crowds, the emperors...they too had once been in this very place, roaring and cheering to the glory of rome.  I circled the structure, and despite the boiling heat, despite the exhaustion I felt from fifteen days of continuous adventure and exploration, I took solace in once again realizing that I was ready.  I was ready to start anew in another city.  I was ready for more language emersion, I was ready to tack on another twenty or so miles on my pf flyers, and I was ready to make new friends.  in short, I was ready to dive head first into roma, knowing I would come out on the other side having fallen inlove with yet another piece of europe...

ruins excavated from the roman forum, the birthplace of roma

the pantheon seen here was originally a temple dedicated to all gods,
and was later converted into a christian church.  the dome on top
(see video below)
is the worlds largest piece of un-reinforced concrete, showing no signs of
weakness after 2,000+ years

trevi fountain, completed in 1762 and designed by italian architect, nicola salvi.
this is a a famous fountain to toss coins in and it's said that those who do,
will one day return to rome...

the spanish steps

I had walked close to eight miles that first day.  in addition to waking up at 3:00am in barcelona to catch my flight for rome, I was in need of some sleep.  as I passed the reception desk of the hostel, I decided to book the first paid tour of my trip...a journey inside the belly of the colosseum...

My plan for the following day was all based around this tour inside the colosseum, which started at 3:00pm.  my goal was to first walk about 4 miles to vatican city, see the main plaza and st. peters basilica then make my way back to the colosseum for the guided tour within.  I made it about halfway to vatican city and stopped to rest and write a few post cards back home...

...as I wrote I sort of lost track of time...long story short, I walked the four miles and made it all the way to the great giant walls of vatican city.  right there, just past these enormous piles of brick was the home of christianity, the pope, and some seriously beautiful pieces of history and architecture,  including the sistine chapel...I looked down at my watch...2:00pm...I looked up at the brick walls of the vatican once more and was slowly hit with the reality that I would not have time to make it inside.  my heart was four miles across town and after waiting a lifetime to enter the grounds of the colosseum, the decision had already been made...with one final look at the vatican walls, I brushed them gently with my hands, turned, and began my trek back to the colosseum.

the roman 'colesseo'

The Capitoline Wolf (Latin: Lupa Capitolina) is a bronze 

sculpture of a she-wolf suckling twin infants, inspired by the 

legend of the founding of Rome. According to the legend, when 

Numitor, grandfather of the twins Romulus and Remus, was 

overthrown by his brother Amulius, the usurper ordered the 

twins to be cast into the Tiber River. They were rescued by a she-wolf who 

cared for them until a herdsman, Faustulus, found and raised them

best tour group in rome!

the tour was unbelivably moving, and the experience was magnified when I was befriended by a very sweet french girl.  we were the only two on the tour solo, and we made a quick bond like peas and carrots!  when we had finished the three hour tour, our thirst to explore more of roma remained heavy.  me and my new companion decided on dinner, so yes, check off having dinner in roma, italia with a beautiful french girl from the list.  our night had brought good conversation, delicious food, and tasty wine, but there was more to come... we both wanted to see the colosseum and trevi fountain lit up at night...so we made our way down the quiet roman streets, enjoying the pleasure of good company and the beauty of rome by night...

the colosseum light up at night.  there was also a full moon filling the sky,
seen here in the top center

lucky us, we arrived just as some city workers came to clean the streets
surrounding the fountain...they shuffled all the tourists out, and we had
the best seats in the house to view the fountain unobstructed by people

----------------------------- day trip -----------------------------

my day trip in rome was lido di ostia, a small coastal town just west of the city. it was €3 on the metro roundtrip and was by far my cheapest day trip yet!  the beach was nothing special, but it doesnt take much to satisfy me when it comes to the mediterranean.   I was happy to again be near the sea, and to have time to relax and reflect on my trip thus far...also a fantastic spot for people watching! italians are known to speak a few decibels louder than others, and also to make good use of the hands while conversing.  these two things make for damn fine people watching episodes.

my time and experiences in roma were nothing short of spectacular.  I remember the worry I had upon leaving barcelona that perhaps I had made a mistake...perhaps I had put too many cities on my itinerary...perhaps I wouldnt have the energy to explore this next city...but once again, the mind and body pulled a few tricks from within!  the drive to explore, and the passion for adventure have led the way each and every day of my trip.

on my final night in rome there was a pub crawl thrown by the hostel I stayed in. it was the perfect way to say goodbye to this enchanting city, and to the many new friends I had made there.  the vatican slipped through my fingers, but it makes for a good excuse to one day return to this wonderful city, the shinning light of the ancient world, rome...

join me as I make way across the mediterranean once more, due east to the home of democracy, greece!  I will spend two full days in athens, and from there take a ferry to the final destination of my tour, the island of ios...

so until I see you again, arrivederci roma!  geia sou athena!

thanks for reading!

- j

jeremy in paris!

bonjour and welcome to another wonderfully adventerous post on germy in socal!  like big ben in london, this photo of the tour eiffel is another that led me to travel 8,000+ miles for the sight of something so grand i knew i would someday have to study its visual glory with my own eyes to see its significance. and to say that i saw its significance gives no justice to the experience i felt standing at the base of this massive, beautiful, structure of supreme human imagination.

but i cannot dive too deep into this post without first recognizing the real reason paris made such an impact on my life. my host, christophe and many other proud residents of this city gave me memories that will always make my first adventure in paris something i will remember for a lifetime. hospitality, generousity and a willingess to explore one's curiousity helped to surround me with people rich in the happiness of life.

this is a simple photo of my hosts neighborhood, but simple in paris is beyond extroadinary

when i arrived in paris i was running on 36 hours without sleep. ive recognized a robotic like personality in my body as its instinctive intuition understands that every opportunity it has at that moment is once in a lifetime. i departed from the airport towards the city center to meet with my host christophe. from that moment on, each minute of everyday was spent in awe of france's amazing history. we went straight to lunch with his friends and hit the streets for a stroll of a building that floats in the sky, montmartre. this ancient cathedral gives you an entire panorama of the city. i couldnt believe my eyes as i looked out past the horizon...every inch of every street was lined with something beautiful, something significant, something distinctly french.

i got a glimpse of the entire city and it was literally at my feet. my friends pointed out the various sites i was
soon to visit and my heart began to race. overwhelmed with beauty and anticipation, i tried to keep myself
grounded in the moment, but i felt myself floating away off into the sky, hitching a ride on the levatating
cathedral behind me...

thanks to my incredible host, i awoke to a french breakfast on the daily and had the honor and pleasure to share it with him before his shift at work as a policemen. a fresh baquette and croissant with jelly, butter, café and orange juice!

its not hard to figure out i had a bit of an obsession with tour eiffel. i made two visits (almost three); one at night and another during the day. the size of the tower was astonishing and i was taken aback when it appeared from behind a few trees after deboarding the metro train.

at night the tower has thousands of lights attached to it that twinkle at the top of every hour for five minutes.
everyone sits with blankets and picnics on the mall at the base of the tower and when the lights begin the
people clap and shout in happiness.

everywhere the eye can see, the garden streches nearly to the horizon.  it is unimagineably large and beautiful

my paris day trip was versailles. while there is a chateau, a beautiful one at that, my intention was to marvel in the splendor that is the iconic garden of versailles. since a highschool history lesson where we studied the french monarchy, i have dreamed of seeing the gardens of versailles and slowly strolling its endless landscapes. and due to the absolute longest line i have ever been somewhat happy to wait in, i missed out on precious hours i coveted inside the garden. my experience was rushed and i will, i must, return one day and make up for those precious hours lost in line. only next time, i will be in the company of a lovely girl to share in the gardens beauty...

after a late night out in paris, we made a stop at the louvre around 4am.  i was told its much more beautiful when there are no tourists and it couldnt be more true...

another beautiful and breathtaking garden, the jardine de luxembourg
rests in the middle of the city and offers a quick escape from the metropolis

don´t hate me for forgetting the name of this grand cathedral.
the fountain in front was the biggest ive seen so far!

french macaroons!

my final night in paris was spent with friends at a picnic on the river that cuts through paris.  notre dame pokes its head out in the back...and to my host christophe, thank you for making my time in paris so memorable.  i have fallen inlove with paris!

my time in paris could not have been any better. my final day was spent with new friends at a picnic along the river, with notre dame and beautiful parisien bridges dotting the horizon. christophe deemed it my french graduation and our first toast solidified my new parisien roots. tomorrow i am off to barcelona, spain the captial of catalunya. with the little spanish that i know, im nervous and excited to see how difficult it may be to communicate with the locals who pride themselves in catalan culture and its distinct dialect of spanish! i will miss paris more than words can express, and i await the day that it once again fills the days of my calendar...

please join me as i continue my grand tour of europe in the remarkable city of barcelona. soon my feet will feel the warm sand of the shore and the soft waves of the mediterranean. au revoir paris, hola barcelona!


thanks for reading!

- j